Part of annual international competition

Photo: Knights of Columbus

All boys and girls ages 8 to 14 are invited to participate in the local level of competition for the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship.  Age eligibility is determined by the age of the contestant as of January 1, 2023.  Proof of age is required (please bring a copy of your birth certificate).

The competitions will be held on January 13, 2023, at Giovannoni Parish Center, 21 East 15th St., Antioch.

Free Throw Championship

Ages 8-11        Registration at 5:30pm            Competition begins at 6:00pm

Ages 12-14      Registration at 6:30pm            Competition begins after 8 to 11-year-old competitors are done

The Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship is sponsored annually, with winners progressing through local, district, and jurisdictional competitions. International champions are announced by the Knights of Columbus international headquarters based on scores from the jurisdiction-level competitions.

For more information contact: Wayne Steffen 925.890.0119 or Mike Hayes 925.565.4482

Council #3265 in Antioch is one of 17,000 Knights of Columbus councils that make up the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in 1882 to assist working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States, today the approximately two million members of the Knights put their faith into action through a broad range of charitable causes locally, nationally and internationally with financial contributions and hands-on service.

Will give away hundreds of prizes to participants

The Antioch Recreation Department is partnering with the Golden State Warriors to offer a Holiday Basketball Clinic for local youth on Saturday, December 10th. We thought that your news outlet may be interested in attending and wanted to formally invite you to the event. The clinic is sold out with 80 children registered.

Golden State Warriors Academy coaches will put players through a series of drill stations followed by games and competitions. The clinic will conclude with a performance from the Golden State Warriors Dunk Team. The Warriors are donating hundreds of prizes for all players that participate in the event.

The clinic takes place from 10am-12pm at the Antioch Community Center in Prewett Family Park, 4703 Lone Tree Way.

Fabulous Feet Dance Studio presents their Winter Ballet Performance of “Alice in Winter Wonderland” Sunday, Dec. 18 at Heritage High School in Brentwood. The ballet begins at 4:00 p.m.

Artistic Directors Kimberley Karbowski and Denise Williams.

Tickets are $20 each and available at Eventbrite.

For more information about the studio visit Fabulous Feet Dance Studio or their Facebook page.

The Antioch High Boys Cross Country team recently won the BVAL title. They are (from left to right) Juan Castro, Braulio Perez, Luis Vazquez, Jose Jimenez, Albert Wong, George Villalobos and Caleb Headley-Pouard. Photo by Trine Gallegos

By Trine Gallegos, Communications/Community Outreach, Antioch High School

AHS Boys Cross Country team members celebrate their championship.  Photo: AUSD

The Antioch High Boys Cross Country team is still happily reeling from its victory at the Nov. 9 BVAL meet. Held at Contra Loma Reservoir, the seven-member group went into the race as the only undefeated team and ran away with its first championship in 34 years for a boys’ team.

Coach Willie Berger was nervous as he waited for the announcement. The news of the win bought out an array of cheers and tears from the entire team, family and assistant coach Brenda Gutierrez.

“They’ve worked so hard and are so deserving,” Berger said.

The boys beat out the favored Heritage High by just one point.

A Nov. 9 post on the Antioch Unified School District Facebook page congratulated the team.

“It’s been 34 years in the making. Hearing the news over the mic was followed by joyful cheers, spirited yelling and happy tears by many.  The boys went to the big meet as the only undefeated team.

Berger knows the feeling of being a student athlete. A Class of 2004 grad, he was a cross country team member.

Congrats to these mighty Panthers and the entire team for a great season.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

AHS Boys Cross Country team members celebrate and get hugs from Coach Willie Berger on Nov. 9, 2022. Photos: AUSD

Source: Youth of Promise Fund

Must serve Eastern Contra Costa County

The Youth of Promise Fund, a partnership between the Contra Costa County Probation Department and the Antioch Community Foundation, is now open to accept applications for micro-grants of up to $10,000 for non-profit organizations serving Eastern Contra Costa County youth and families and to support priority program/service areas described below for the period: October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023.

Priority Program/Service Areas Include:

• Academic success, mentoring, and tutoring;
• Leadership development
• Civic engagement/social justice;
• Prevention;
• Youth employment, internships, or work-ready skills training; and

Among others that support and promote strategies and best practices that effectively prevent or reduce juvenile crime and provide youth and their families with opportunities to achieve, grow, and thrive.

Application Process and Timeline

Non-profit (501c3) organizations serving justice-system involved youth and/or youth at risk of justice-system involvement in East Contra Costa are eligible to apply. (A pool of $85,000 has been allocated for this grant application cycle.)

Applications must be submitted to the Antioch Community Foundation via online or by email at grants@acfcommunityimpact.org. See the link below for the application.

Applications are due no later than 5:00pm Friday, October 28, 2022.

• No mailed or faxed documents will be accepted.
• Funding decisions will be finalized by the ACF Board by Monday, November 14, 2022, and notification to organizations of grant funding status will be made by Friday, November 18, 2022.
• Organizations that are awarded a grant must confirm acceptance and provide any revised documentation to the Antioch Community Foundation by 5:00 pm, Tuesday, November 29, 2022
• Grant awards will be mailed by Friday, December 2, 2022.
• To be considered for future funding, grantees must submit a grant report for 2022-23 by Friday, September 1, 2023, or within 2 months of completion of any one-time event for which the award is given.

For questions, please send your inquiry to grants@acfcommunityimpact.org or contact Keith Archuleta at 925-584-5944/ keith@emeraldhpc.com.